Haunted Memories
by lucratcia
Summary: Duo's dreams of the past haunt him and drives him into darkness. Can the good memories overcome the bad? or is it too late for happiness to find its way to his heart.Rated M for later chapters. yaoi content. suprise couples!
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Hey this is my first fan fiction. I'm giving it a go, so please be gentle with me… I really like Gundam Wing and am a fan of yaoi.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and there is male on male reference here… or at least for later chapters. Mostly lime, but not lemon… yet.

Enjoy.

Haunted Memories

Part 1

-Sometimes I wish the morning will never come. First rays of sunlight shatter the darkness that veils the night before. -

The long neck bottle slowly slipped from slender fingers and clattered to the floor littered with countless other bottles and discarded items. Slightly intoxicated, Duo walked as carefully as he could in a staggered line from the small so-called kitchen to his tattered bed. Ruby-red liquid sloshed out of the cheap diamond-cut glass onto his hand and splattered on the floor.

Dim light from a small lamp on a scratched bed table flickered, causing the dark shadows to leap and dance upon the water stained walls. The room was tiny, but cheap-dirt cheap as a matter of fact. It was barely large enough to hold two single beds, the scratched bed table, what used to an overstuffed chair, a kitchen corner, and a door that led to what was supposed to be a bathroom. An occasional flash came through he window, but the traffic covered any sign of thunder. The pelting rain made the commercial lights take on an eerie glow. None of this mattered to Duo.

"How much do I have to drink to forget? Even just for a moment?" He cried out, his voice cracking. He took another drink to finish off the glass. Finally reaching his bed, Duo eyed the erratic pattern his short walk had created. He realized that his glass was empty. His free hand searched for another bottle on the floor by his bare fee. Finding it, he poured another full glass. "How much?" he asked the glass and half expecting it to answer him. The liquid was sweet at first then it burned-leaving his mouth and throat dry and burning. He needed more. Probably way too much more.

"Funny that life is like that. Sweet innocence that is burned away." A bitter laugh escaped from the young boy's lips. His head hit the thin pillow and some hard liquor splashed from the glass and landed on his bare chest dribbling onto the bed. The glass fell from Duo's hand onto the floor shattering into tiny pieces. The pieces scattered and sparkled in the dim light like long waiting unshed tears. The boy hardly noticed.

"It was my fault that everything went wrong. Why couldn't I keep my big mouth shut? Why?" Duo yelled and threw the bottle across the room in a fit of rage. The bottle broke and the cold clear liquid ran down the wall. "Why?" cried Duo as he curled up into a ball. Hot tears trickled from his violet eyes.

A crash of thunder was followed by the electricity going out. Duo hardly noticed as he fell into a restless sleep. His long braid lay clenched in his hands as a welcoming comfort.

Explosions rocked the building and Oz troops scattered, running in all directions. He stayed hidden in a dark corner going unnoticed. Loose black pants, black shirt, and black hat kept him hidden quite well. Even his long braid was tied with a black band.

A cold metal object gleamed in his hand; the warning lights flickering off the thick red blood that dripped from the barrel. He ignored the pain that sent icy pains down his arm. The blaring sirens made him feel that he was going deaf. Three Oz soldiers stopped right in front of him.

"How many were there?" asked the man who seemed to be the leader of the three.

"Only two that we know of," answered one of the soldiers.

"Could be more," said the third.

"Find them and get the heck out of here. Take them to Trieze," said the leader. "Alive, if you can."

"Great, just great," Duo mumbled to himself. 'Heero is going to kill me. I'm the one who fell for that ambush. Now, we are stuck in here with the building going to pieces." The soldiers ran off in separate directions.

Duo came out of the dark corner and ran down the hallway crouched low with his gun pointed out in front of him. Death's smile played upon his face. 'Wait for me Deathscythe,' Duo thought to himself. He was quiet and almost blended in completely with the walls. Even though his breathing was clam, his heart was pounding. He turned sharply around a corner and came face to face with a half dozen guns pointed at him.

"Shimatta!" Duo yelled and backpedaled right into another gun. Soldiers came from what seemed like nowhere and surrounded him. Yells filled the air competing to be heard over the sirens. Shots rang in the air and Duo realized that it was him doing the shooting.

"Take him to Trieze. We only have five minutes before this whole place blows! An Oz soldier yelled. The gun dropped from duo's hand. He turned and punched the nearest soldier in the stomach and tried to push his way through. A sharp pain came from the back of his head and then all was black.

Insistent pounding at the door brought Duo slowly awake. He rolled over and a moan escaped from his lips from pain that wreaked through his body. He crawled out of his bed, barely making it to the bathroom, where he promptly threw up and somehow avoiding stepping in broken glass. The pounding on the door never stopped.

"Duo! Hey, Duo, come and open the door. I know you're in there, Duo. I can hear you in there," came a girl's voice Duo really didn't want to hear. It was just after dawn, with early sunlight filtering through the thin curtains. Something crashed to the floor outside the door, and he could hear a jingle of keys. "Duo, you better be decent. I'm coming in."

"Shimatta, Hilde, just open the door already!" Duo yelled as he stood. He threw water onto his face and rinsed out his mouth. He walked to the fridge as Hilde came through the door. Hilde watched Duo fill a large glass with liquor and grab a half eaten sandwich from the fridge.

"Nice clothes, Duo," Hilde remarked with a smile. She set the bag of groceries on the counter and took her jacket off. Duo was barefoot and bare-chested with a pair of loose black pants. The past couple weeks had taken a toll on his already thin body.

"Hey, you said decent-not fully clothed," Duo said between mouthfuls. Hilde gave him a wry smile and started to clean.

"Duo, I thought you were going to stop drinking?" Hilde asked. Duo walked to his bed kicking bottles and clothes out of his way, his body and head competing to protest the loudest.

"I can if I want to," Duo said grumpily. He laid down carefully trying to ignore the pounding in his head. Hilde saw him wince.

"Have a nice hangover there?" Hilde asked sarcastically. "Why do you live like such a pig?" she said disgusted. Duo smiled at her with a dulled sparkle in his violet eyes.

"So you have an excuse to come visit a loser like me," he answered, smiling and ever cheerfully sarcastic.

"You wouldn't be such a loser if you get on with your life," Hilde said harshly. She dropped a pile of dirty clothes on his face and stalked away.

"Hilde, why do you even bother?" Duo said seriously. He closed his violet eyes and sighed. Hilde walked over to the bed and gently sat next to Duo.

"Because I miss the Duo who was always happy-go-lucky and didn't blame himself for a war that he should have had nothing to do with," Hilde said softly. The countless empty bottles and dark circles under Duo's eyes gave her the impression that he hadn't been sleeping well. "You have to forgive yourself, Duo. Put your mind to rest." Hilde stood up to get a glass of water.

"It was my fault-all my fault. My mind nor God will let me be forgiven," he said fitfully. "Why can't I just forget?" he asked nobody in particular. Hilde emptied a small package of powder into the glass.

"Here Duo, drink this," she said handing him the glass. He took it and drank half the glass, the drug taking affect immediately

"Just go to sleep Duo," Hilde said softly. She kissed his forehead lightly and covered him up. Fragments of words and sounds came from Duo, but he was soon quiet. Hilde stood and quietly cleaned the small apartment.

"At least he'll awake to a clean room and a refrigerator free of alcohol, but full of food," she said with a smile on her face as she closed the door on her way out.

Duo awoke slowly to realize he wasn't in his bed. An irony taste filled his mouth and pain wreaked through his body as he was knocked to the floor roughly. His hands and feet were tied, but with all the pain and noise he hardly noticed.

"Trieze will be waiting for you. And if you think this was bad, I almost feel sorry for you," an Oz soldier sneered at him. The metal floor was cold to Duo's hot skin. His black preacher's outfit was torn, but he still wore his gold cross around his neck. His mouth was destroyed, but without a broken jaw and at least one rib was broken.

"Tell him I'll be ready and I'll try to greet him with the greatest of courtesy," Duo's voice dripped with sarcasm. The soldier delivered a vicious kick to Duo's stomach, cracking another rib.

"Hey, Trieze said alive," came a second voice.

"He said if possible," the fist spat. "Oh well, you're not worth it." The cell door was shut and darkness enveloped the metal room. A violent coughing fit overtook Duo and a spray of blood soon covered the floor around his mouth.

"Are you ever quiet, Maxwell," came a slightly arrogant voice from the back of the cell.

"Wufei?" Duo asked weakly.

"Yeah, baka. Keeping your mouth shut is a lesson that would be well learned," answered the young Chinese boy.

"Well, we weren't taught that on L2," Duo said with a small laugh. "Soo, what's the plan for our escape?"

"Don't have one," Wufei said regretfully. "Unless a miracle happens."

"Ok, miracle," Duo shouted to the room, "come and happen so me and Wu-man can go free." Wufei rolled his eyes realizing that he would waist precious energy trying to get the loudmouth American to shut up. A loud explosion suddenly rocked the Oz base, surprising Duo and Wufei. Duo smiled broadly, as broad as he could anyway with a busted mouth. Footsteps could be heard outside the cell door.

"There's our miracle," Duo said, his spirits lifting.

"We wouldn't have needed one in the first place if you would have listened," Wufei said sharply. A scuffle outside their door silenced any further comment from Duo. He pushed himself into a sitting position by leaning on the wall. He filled with hope. The door opened, flooding the small room with blinding light.

"Well, Heero Yuy, finally decided to come and save our sorry…"

Heero stumbled as he was shoved into the cell. His green tank top was in shreds and blood ran down his face from his brow. Seeing this, Duo was shocked speechless, which did not happen very often. His jaw dropped and he felt as if he swallowed a rock twice his size. The time stood still as the door slammed shut once more leaving them in impenetrable blackness.

Duo quickly sat up, this time in his own bed, gasping for breath.

"Damn it," Duo cursed tossing the blankets to the floor. "Will they ever stop?" he stomped into the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was just pas seven in the evening. He opened a cupboard and realized that there was nothing but wholesome good for you food.

"Hilde!" Duo screamed angrily as he slammed the door shut. He muttered curses that were colorful even for him as he looked in the fridge and found that all the alcohol was gone. Hilde had even found the ones he had hidden under the sink. It was going to be a long night…


	2. Chapter 2

Haunted Memories

Chapter 2

A/N: I should have had this up sooner. Then maybe I could have gotten a review or two, well besides my cousin (thank you by the way). I just really hate typing things out after I write soo many pages. Anyways, if you have the time, let me know what you think so far. : -

Disclaimer: I don't own, though I wish I did.

-Death is a gift. A gift from God that everybody receives.-

Colorful leaves flew in bunches carried by the crisp autumn wind that held the biting chill of the oncoming winter. Duo pulled his jacket tighter against his body trying to resist a shiver that ran through his body. It was a perfect fall day with the bright sun shining down and occasionally hiding behind a wispy cloud. Perfect for everybody but him anyways.

He heard a loud bell ring from the school up ahead. The building erupted with yelling and laughing kids, which reminded Duo of an agitated anthill. A small smile played on his lips as he had to dodge a student barreling towards him on a bicycle and then three more on roller skates.

'Young innocence, so precious and pure,' Duo thought to himself sadly. He picked up his pace a bit. He had to do what he set out to do before he changed his mind. The small flower shop was just up ahead.

The place was crammed in between a grocery store and some outdated audio store. The sign for the shop was so old and faded Duo could not even make out the name. The only reason he knew of the place was because he had stepped inside on a hot summer day to get some cool air. The audio shop wasn't air-conditioned and he couldn't very well hang out in a grocery store.

The small shop was always filled completely with flowers, but somehow the scent of all of them close together wasn't overbearing. Duo had instantly liked the store because it felt homey and the extremely cheap prices helped quite a bit.

He stopped in front of the entrance and took a deep breath. He wasn't here for a happy occasion. He released the breath he was holding and stepped inside. As usual, the interior was cool and the lights were dim. A tinkle from the bell hung above the door announced his arrival.

"How can I help you today Mr. Maxwell?" the short girl behind the counter asked cheerfully.

"I would like to look around a bit Kanami," Duo answered.

"Ok, let me know when you are ready." It didn't take him too long before he had everything he needed. Duo walked up to the counter and laid a dozen red roses and another dozen white calla lilies down by the cash register.

"I also need two long white candles," Duo told her. She grabbed the candles from behind the counter and rung up his order.

"Do you ever really smile, Duo?" Kanami asked as she wrapped up the flowers.

"I will when I have something to smile about," he answered. He grabbed the two bundles of flowers and put them in the crook of his arm and grabbed the bag containing the candles after he paid for them. He bid Kanami farewell and made his way to the door. When he looked back, she had stepped out from behind the counter to help another customer. He tried a small smile, but just couldn't do. He turned back around and walked out the door.

Clouds had gathered while Duo had been inside. He threw a prayer up to the sky asking for the rain to hold off for a while. He still had a ways to go before he would get to the cemetery. It seemed to have gotten a lot colder also. Duo could smell the storm coming.

As he walked, he tried to keep thoughts of the past out of his mind, but it was no use. He still had hopes of his best friend and probably would have been lover still being out there somewhere, even if nobody else believed it. Why else would he keep the second bed in his apartment?

They had thought the war was finally over, but they had somehow gotten a "final" mission. It didn't seem right, but they all went anyways. But, before that, that was when all five of them had split up to go their own way. Duo, without a job and wanting to be alone, went back to L2 and got the cheapest apartment he could find. A month later Yuy was on his doorstep asking to stay with him for a while.

At first it was awkward. His former partner was never much of a talker in the first place. Also, Duo never knew exactly where their friendship stood. After all, being partners for a couple of years amounted to something, right? Slowly, though, Heero had decided to open up and actually talk like a normal human being. Duo started to feel as if maybe, just maybe they could be something more. But before anything could really happen, the mission came along. The mission that screwed up everything.

Him and Heero had gotten the message a little after two in the morning. They were staying up late having a rare move marathon that Yuy really seemed to enjoy, when all of a sudden Yuy's laptop started going nuts. A little surprised, Yuy had gone and checked his messages.

Sure enough, a mission message had been sent. Also confirmation messages from the other pilots had been sent to them. When Yuy came back to the overstuffed chair all emotion had left his face as he told Duo of the mission. They had five hours before they had to meet up with the others outside a base they had thought had become neutral and without any live weapons.

The worse part about the whole thing was that his best friend had transformed back to his former self in mere seconds. Months of trying to get him to be human and what most people would consider normal was ruined by one message.

Duo was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the front gate entrance. The cemetery was actually pretty small. It just looked large because it was set so far back from the road. The path at the front gate wound its way through a flower garden and over a hill that was behind a thick line of evergreens.

As Duo reached the first line of tombstones the sky was darkening from the setting sun and incoming storm. He sighed as he picked his way through and headed towards the back.

Their grave markers were side by side. Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner. Best friends up until the very end. Duo held back a sob as tears slid down his cheeks. He arranged the deep red roses at the base of Trowa's headstone. Duo had gotten the lilies for Quatre. Their headstones were small and simple, only containing their names and the date that they died, one month ago, this day.

Duo sat on the cold ground between the two graves and searched for a lighter that was somewhere in one of his pockets. Finally found, he used it to light both candles. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, fingers interlocking.

Slowly, in a low voice, Duo began a prayer over his friends' graves.

"Death is a gift. A gift from God that everybody receives. May your souls find peace as they travel together and come to rest. You will be remembered, my friends."

"Once he was finished, Duo set his chin upon his knees and started to hum a haunting tune. The wind carried his voice throughout the cemetery and brought it back to him. The effect was eerie as it seemed that his voice was in a continuous echo.

The storm decided that its burden was heavy enough and decided to finally show itself. Duo stayed where he was until there was barely anything left to the candles. They were nubs when the rain started coming down hard enough to put them out. He put what was left of the candles into a coat pocket and stood up stiffly. His body ached and screamed in protest at his sudden movement.

Duo sighed one last time and turned to leave when he saw somebody standing not far off. That person, being seen, stepped forward. Duo was surprised to see that it was Wufei and that he was completely soaked.

"So how long have you been there Wu?" Duo asked quietly. He motioned to his friend and they both started walking towards the front gate.

"I heard you start humming your song as I came up the hill. I figured you wanted to be alone for the time being."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." They walked in silence for a while.

"Where are you staying at?" Duo asked flipping his sopping wet braid over his shoulder.

"Some hotel in town." There was a pause. "Do you want some company for tonight?" Wufei asked with a raised eyebrow. It took a moment for Duo to answer.

"Sure, why not," he said with a shrug.

"Duo, I know you probably walked here and everything, but would you mind taking the bus back? I really do not intend on getting sick." All Duo could do was nod. He just followed as his friend led the way to the bus stop not too far from the cemetery and to the place he called home.


	3. Chapter 3

Haunted Memories

Chapter 3

A/N: For those you keep coming back, thank you.

Disclaimer: I dont own them, not a single one...yet...

Warnings: None yet..

-Life is a privilige, not a right. Friends are even more so.-

The bus ride gave them both the chance to warm up, although not too much. Duo could hardly make it upstairs to his apartment. He felt so exhausted. He was surprised that Wufei even knew where it was. At the door he fumbled with his keys. He just could not find the right one.

"Come on, sheesh, it's not like I haven't ever unlocked my door before," Duo muttered feeling like an idiot and trying not to let his anger show. Giving up, he shoved the keys at Wufei. "Here, you try it." Neither said anything when Wufei was able to open the door a few moments later.

Duo peeled off his jack as he walked through the door. He tossed it onto the floor and headed towards the bathroom, flipping the light switch on his way.

"I'm getting in the shower. You can turn up the heat or even change into a pair of my clothes. I even have food at the moment, but of course nothing hard to drink. Hilde was here yesterday. Make yourself comfortable." Duo's voice started to fade and then was completely drowned out as he closed the bathroom door and turned on the water.

Wufei wasn't sure quite what he was supposed to do. He knew the braided ex-pilot was upset, rightly so. He just nodded at what seemed to be the right moments and kept his mouth shut. He was a lot like Yuy in that aspect. He wasn't quite experienced in the friend field. He was surprised he had offered Duo company. He was hoping not to regret that decision. Duo usually talked nonstop and never seemed to have a care in the world. The Duo he saw now was so different he wasn't sure what to do.

Wufei hung his jacket on the door. He walked over to the small dresser to look to see if there would be anything that he would feel comfortable. When he opened the drawer he drew in a quick breath. The second drawer down contained clothes that had belonged to Heero. He had forgotten that Heero and Duo had lived together for a while.

Wufei sighed and closed the drawer. Looking through the others, he found what he figured Duo wore as pagamas. They fit loosely and were actually quite comfortable. Both the top and bottom were overly large and airy made out of a very soft fabric, and of course, they were black. Afterwards, he raided the cupboards and the refridgerator. He decided on making some miso soup, enough for the both of them just in case he could get Duo to eat some.

Wufei was sitting on the bed that was made, figuring it wasn't Duo's. He was leafing through an old manga magazine when Duo came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a very short, very small towel. Wufei's eyes widened and he tried to swallow withut looking conspicuous. Too late.

"Sheesh Wufei, you've seen more than this before, settle," Duo said with a half wry smile. His friend's face turned pink with the tips of his ears bright red.

"I made some miso soup," Wufei said with a cough. He stood and walked to the kitchen. He made sure to keep his back to Duo. "Get a grip, will ya?" he muttered under his breath. Duo was right, he had seen more and he himself had even shown more. So what was the deal? Wufei also noticed that Duo was keeping silent which was unuasual. Normally, Duo would be teasing him relentlessly by this point.

The blush finally gone, Wufei turned off the stove and poured the soup into two bowls he had to search for. Maxwell had no organizational skills at all. He was hoping the long-haired man was decent when he went to turn around. He was, but barely. Duo had put on a pair of black boxers.

"Here is some soup," Wufei said handing a bowl over to Duo. He just nodded in response and took the bowl. "I can see that your idea of modesty hasn't changed," Wufei jabbed trying to lighten the mood.

"Eh, you know me. I've always been the one least worried about that subject." He watched Wufei roll his eyes with an almost smile. The silence stretched on, neither of them knowing what to say.

"Duo, how have you been, seriously?" Wufei asked. "I mean after we thought everything was over, we all split up. I didn't really bother keeping in touch and then everything happened. I hav not even spoken to you since the funeral and even then I don't think I said more than ten words." He said all this quickly wanting to get as much as he could out and spoken before he decided to just keep his mouth shut.

Duo set down his half empty bowl, gave Wufei a weird look, and then laughed. It wasn't faked or forced, but a real genuine laugh. Wufei was really confused and wondered if Duo had lost his mind. At the look on Wufei's face, Duo laughed even harder.

"Would you like to explain yourself, Maxwell?"

"Wu-man," Duo started, but was quickly interrupted by a set of hiccups. "That was the most I have ever heard you say at one time without you going on a tirade," he finished with another round of giggles, which infected his friend sitting across from him.

"Is the great Wufei actually giggling?" Duo was barely able to get out. Wufei tried to answer with a glare that would rival Heero's anyday. This went them into another round of laughter.

"Ok, ok. Time to breathe," Duo sputtered as they fought to get their laughing under control. "So what have you been up to my friend?"

As Wufei was still trying to breathe half way normal, Duo got a chance to actually look at his friend. Wufe still kept his black hair pulled back into a short ponytail. His face showed a maturity that was not there before and his eyes were looked older than they should be in such a young man. His skin seemed so pale against the the black fabric he was wearing. He hadd stayed thin, but muscular. His voice had deepened to a low baritone timbre. Duo allowed himself a small smile.

"I have actually been working on Earth, for a high-tech company creating defense technology. I needed a break. That is why I am here now," Wufei said quietly. What he said was mostly the truth. Hopefully Duo would leave it at that.

"And what about you Duo? You have not answered that."

Wufei looked at his friend and saw the sparkle fade from his once bright purple eyes. The smile left his face, turning it grim and making Duo look much older than his 19 years.

"You see this," Duo gestured to the room surrounding them. "This is it. I have been here since we split up. I just do odd-jobs and what not to get by."

"When, when did, Heero show up?" Wufei asked slightly uncomfortable.

"Eh, about a month later after I settled here," Duo said with a shrug, not offereing any more information. Sadness settled upon Duo's thin frame.

"So, has anybody said anything about Trowa and Quatre being buried here?" Duo asked as he took the two empty bowls to the sink, trying to change the subject.

"Quatre's family was not too happy about it."

"Yeah, I figured. You want some tea? I have some that I brewed earlier in the fridge." Wufei nodded in answer.

"Why here though?"

"I didn't see why not. Who else would put out flowers for them?" He walked back to the two beds. He handed the black haired man a chipped blue cup full of sweetened tea.

"Do any of your things match?" Wufei asked rolling his eyes. He took a sip of the tea and tried not to cringe at how sweet it was. Duo just shook his head.

"I expected more of a fuss actually," Duo said as he sat down beside Wufei.

"Be glad their wasn't. Why do you still live here Duo? Why do you still have Heero's clothes and this second bed?" Duo took a long time to answer, sipping on his tea.

"Where else would I go? I have nothing. As for all his stuff, I don't want to get rid of it. He's out there Wufei."

"You dont know that."

"I have to believe that. Heero is too hard to kill. There was no body," he said anxiously. He had set his cup down on the bare floor and now he clenched his fists. His long brown hair, which he hadn't braided yet, was inhis face and he had to keep flipping back over his shoulder.

"Duo, the place was destroyed - "

"I know, but there was no body. I did not see him dead with my own two eyes. Until I do, or until somebody can prove otherwise, I will not believe that he is dead!" Duo pratically yelled.

"He was my friend, Wufei. I didn't and still don't have many of those. He came here, lived here in this tiny dump, without me ever asking."

"I don't understand Wufei. Why, why did this have to happen?" Duo pleaded. Tears threatened to spill fromhis large violet eyes. Wufei had no answer for his friend. He didn't understand why either. Why anythng.

Wufei finished hsi tea in a long swallow. Duo stood, almost knocking over his cup, and walked to the bathroom. Wufei craned his neck to see what his friend was doing. Duo was trying to comb out his tangled hair. Wufei could hear sniffling from the from the bathroom. He wondered how close Duo and Heero actually were.

"I guess it doesn't really matter," Wufei muttered.

"What was that, Wu?" Duo asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Nothing, just mumbling," Wufei answered.

"You don't just mumble," he said searchng for a rubberband in a drawer. Finding a small black band, he tied the end of his braid.

"I was wondering about Heero. You and Heero actually."

"What about us?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, you know..." Wufe had trouble trying to bring himself to say it and the look from Duo wasn't helping much. His ears were tipped with pink from a blush that crept its way across his face. Duo let out a short forced laugh.

"No, Wufei, we were not screwing each others brains out. Friends, Wufei. Nothing more. But I guess you wouldn't understand that, now would you?" Duo forced the words out between teeth. He grabbed Wufei's wet clothe's off the overstuffed chair and dumped them onto the other man's lap.

"Get out," Duo told him.

"Duo - "

"Out Wufei. Don't piss me off more." Duo turned his back to him. Wufe sighed as he stood. At the door he turned to face Duo.

"I'm sorry, Duo. I don't understand any of this any more than you do." With that, Wufei walked out the door and shut it quietly behind him.

"With Wufei gone, the anger rushed out of Duo, quickly making him feel so empty. He sunk to the floor, the tears finally spilling over. He couldn't stop them and couldn't stop the sobs that wanted to be heard. But they weren't heard by anyone, just the empty apartment walls.


	4. Chapter 4

Haunted Memories

Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you cherryblossom. And yes, people are retarded...in general. No offense to those that come back and read my fan fiction and don't leave me a review...again... Anywho, extra long chapter. Very little sleep, fight with my fiancé at time of writing, and sugar provided by my great cousin cherryblossom. : -

Warnings: Yoai hintings of later on. This is also a DEATH chapter. Just thought you would like to know. Reviews are nice. Flames may be even better, my house is very cold...Oh, and when I decided to finally type this uber long hand-written chapter, I was up late the night before drinking and watching cherryblossom play FF12 and fiancé playing Magic the Gathering... so don't ask.

A/N2- this is midnightcherryblossom. Sorry about the delayed update lucratcia. AOL is working once more (even if all my saved stuff is totally gone your story is on here)  
Enjoy everyone.

-Evil is a point of view. God kills indiscriminately and so shall we. - Anne Rice

Heero stumbled as he was shoved into the dark cell. His green tank top was in shreds and blood ran down his face from his brow. He could not catch his balance and fell against the wall, barely conscious. The door was slammed shut, leaving them once again in complete darkness.

"Heero?" Duo called to the other man. He made his way over to where his fellow pilot had landed. Duo nudged him, trying to get a reaction. The only one he got was a low moan escaping from Heero's lips. Duo leaned forward and heard him breathing in quick shallow breaths.

"Hey, Wufei," Duo said when he heard the black-haired pilot move closer. "There's a pin high up in my braid. I can't reach it. Can you get it?" Wufei shifted as Duo leaned forward and turned his head so his braid was in Wufei's hands behind his back.

"What is it doing up so high?" Wufei muttered as he was working on Duo's bindings first.

"Well, they found the first one. They decided that I shouldn't be allowed to have it," he answered wryly. After a moment his hands were free. He rubbed his hands and wrists, trying to get the circulation back.

"Will you hurry up Maxwell?"

"Oh, yeah, right," Duo said realizing Wufei was waiting for him to undo his hands. Soon, both their hands and feet were free and some sense of feeling had returned. Heero's condition hadn't changed a bit.

"Let's prop him up a little bit," Duo suggested. Wufei grunted in agreement. Duo pulled Heero's head and shoulders into his lap with the help of the other pilot.

"Do you think Tro and Quatre got out ok?" Duo felt Wufei shrug.

"Don't know, maybe." The metal cell was cold and they huddled together to stay warm. Thankfully, Duo had the sense to keep his mouth shut for once. The silence wore on. Heero seemed to have fallen into a fitful sleep. The other two began to doze in and out of sleep in the silent darkness.

Duo was the one that heard it first. The faint noise of military officer boots hitting the cement floor, coming closer. He nudged Wufei with his shoulder. They became alert as the noise got louder and stopped outside their cell door. They held their breath waiting for the door to be opened. They didn't have to wait long. The door crashed open, letting bright light into the small room. It seemed as if their jailors were waiting for them to readjust tot he light.

Once they could see who stood at the doorway, Wufei breathed in sharply. Duo was surprised that his friend showed emotion. He looked at the doorway again and saw why. Treize Kushrenada stood there looking in on them with a cold smile on his face. Duo groaned inwardly. Treize is who he heard, his military boots sounding so familiar.

Treize could see they were free from their bonds. He sighed. He would have to be more careful. He nodded his head as a signal.

"Get them. Cuff them," Treize said calmly. No emotion showed on his face, but his voice sounded so arrogant. Duo wrapped his arms protectively around Heero glaring at the soldier closest to him almost snarling. Wufei had sat up into a crouch, ready to attack.

Don't even try it Chang," Treize stated. It seemed that took the fire out of Wufei. He stood, holding his hands out in front of him. Two soldiers grabbed an arm and wrenched them behind his back. They used a device that bound his arms together from wrist to elbow. Wufei gritted his teeth, but a wince still showed on his face. They also latched a tight metal collar around his throat with an extremely short leash.

Duo was horrified that Wufei went along with all of this. Why would his friend do this? He wanted to say something, do anything. Hell, he expected Wufei to do something. He was about to jump up when he looked into his friend's eyes. There was nothing there but total and utter defeat. This shocked Duo speechless and motionless.

He didn't resist as the same was done to him, but not before he felt Heero tense in his arms. The metal bindings hurt, but the will to fight had left him for the time being. If Wufei had given up, what chance did he have? Both of them were needed to get all of them out.

"What do you want us to do with this one?" one of the soldiers asked kicking Heero in the ribs. Heero's eyes fluttered open. At once he is on his feet in a defensive stance.

"Well at least he's awake," Treize commented with a shrug. "Do the same to him." He turned to Yuy and pointed at the other two. "Don't try anything with your fellow pilots already willing to follow my orders."

Duo could barely watch as they roughly handled Heero. He could tell the Japanese man was in some serious pain for it to show in his eyes. Wufei hung his head, hiding his face from Heero. This was the first time anybody had seen Wufei like this.

"Let's go," Treize commanded. He was the first out the door. Two soldiers followed him, then the gundam pilots with a soldier at each of their sides, and then two more at the end of their happy little group. Ten soldiers, not including Treize, to the three of them. These odds were so not good.

Duo looked at their surroundings the best he could. The leash was too short and the collar too tight for him to be able to turn his head much. He wasn't sure exactly where they were inside the base. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all the same metallic gray. The lights were so bright that they made his eyes water.

They passed several doors, but no windows. Some that they passed they could hear screams coming from behind them. The kind of screams that made your blood run cold and you pray that you never find out what was happening to the person doing the screaming.

Treize stopped in front of a door that was unmarked and no different than the others. His royal highness opened the door himself prompting a raised eyebrow from Duo. Before a retort escaped his mouth, he clamped it shut and vowed not to say a word or sound no matter what.

Treize stepped aside, motioning for the soldiers to lead the pilots into the room. The lights were dimmer than those in the hallway. Duo noticed that this room was about twice the size of the cell they were in. It was twice as long as it was wide and one long wall was nothing but a big window. Like what you would see in an interrogation room. The opposite wall had hooks along the length of it at various heights.

Duo realized what the hooks were for and paled visibly, as did the other two. Of course, Treize saw this. He sneered at each of them. Somehow he even made that look elegant.

"Space them out," he told his underlings. They did as they were told without question. Duo could see no way out of this. If he fought now, he was dead. Treize blocked the door, he could hardly move at all, and this room was way too small to try very many kicking moves. If only his hands were free… So, he could do nothing as the soldiers attached the leash to a hook in the wall at shoulder height. He watched as both Heero and Wufei complied also. Well crap and double crap.

"Gentlemen, thank you so much for your cooperation. Especially you Wufei Chang, pilot of the Shenlong Gundam," Treize said in a mockingly sweet voice. He smiled. Not just any smile, but a smile that would make you believe that he had taken a long jump off the deep end.

Duo stared incredulous at Treize. Since when did Oz know there first and last names along with what gundams they piloted? He could see the vein throbbing at his friend's temple. Something was going on here, he just knew it. Maybe that's why Wufei followed Treize's orders so easily…

It seemed that each of the gundam pilots had sworn to silence. Treize was determined to change that very soon.

"Leave us," Treize told his soldiers. "And lock the door." A soldier made the move to question the last order. A look from his commander was all he needed to change his mind. They all but ran from the room. The pilots heard an ominous click as the door was locked.

"Now I have arranged a nice little demonstration for you. You will soon see why you are bound the way you are." There was a manic gleam in his dark blue eyes that worried Duo. Yes, even scared him. He felt his stomach slide to his feet. That gleam scared him to the point where he was praying to the little belief he had left that he would pass out. His gut was telling him that he would soon know what was causing those other people to scream.

"I do say, Maxwell, you are quite pale. Don't worry, that'll change here in a moment.

The fallen commander walked over to a panel that was by the door. He flipped a switch that lit up the room behind the glass. Duo gasped without meaning to at the sight behind the glass. Trowa and Quatre were in the other room, bound the same way as they were except their leashes were attached much higher. Their toes barely touched the ground. If they were to relax, even the slightest bit, they would basically hang themselves.

No cloth covered their upper bodies although bits and pieces clung to different wounds; the rest lay at their fee in shreds. Quatre's hair was a mix of blond and red from blood. Bruises ran from his cheek, over his ribs, and down to his waistline. The metal bindings that held his arms together were also attached to a hook on the wall, further limiting his movement. Both arms were sever3ely dislocated and swollen at the shoulders. Welts covered his back and chest from what looked like a whip. Some were still bleeding readily, while the others just oozed. His face was ruined. Both eyes were black and almost swollen shut. His nose was broken and both lips were split completely open. Trowa looked so very much the same. Blood was spattered on the wall behind them and pooled on the floor. Duo wondered if they were even still alive. Treize seemed to have read his mind.

"They are very much still alive," Treize said gladly. "What fun would this be if they weren't?" The man had obviously completely lost it. He flipped another switch – the intercom.

"Proceed." Only then did Duo realize that two officers were in that room also.

They stepped up to Trowa. Each had a long thin knife. They proceeded to systematically peel the skin from Trowa's shoulders. Duo had to admire his friend for his resolve not to make a sound. Then it started. Trowa let a cry escape from between his gritted teeth. This brought Quatre very awake. The small blonde started screaming obscenities that would have mad Duo's hair curl at any other time. He tried to kick the soldier nearest to him. He wasn't even close. Duo saw that Quatre's throat was also coated with blood, as was Trowa's. They had both fought their collars, to no avail.

The soldier on Trowa's right seemed to have tired of Quatre's yelling. He stopped what he was doing to backhand him in the face. The man was wearing brass knuckles. For good measure, he punched the young man in the ribs twice. Each hit resounded with a loud crack. The young pilot was now wheezing, fight to stay on his toes.

Duo couldn't help it. He lunged towards Treize, remembering too late about the metal collar around his neck. He was jerked back, knocking himself off his own feet and succeeding only in chocking himself. He scrambled to his feet trying to get his footing before he lost too much air.

"You sick bastard!" Duo sputtered trying to breathe. "What the Hell is your problem!"

Treize calmly walked towards the pilot. Without warning he backhanded Duo, splitting his lip and breaking his nose.

"I see that you have to use those brass knuckles too," Duo retorted. "Didn't want to bloody your own knuckles, did ya?" A steady stream of blood ran from his nose and was dripping off his chin.

Treize grabbed Duo's braid at the base and yanked his head towards him. His lips were mere inches from Duo's ear. He could see that the other two pilots were getting extremely pissed. He loved how they could do nothing about it.

"I've bloodied my hands plenty," he practically snarled. Duo's smart comments irked him.

He yanked the braid up against the wall smile at the sound of Duo's head hitting the metal wall and the look of pain that flashed across his face. He pressed the length of his body against Duo's. The braided pilot was dazed from the hit and blinked back the darkness that threatened to close in, but that didn't stop him from trying to pull away.

From the other room, through the intercom, they heard Trowa start screaming like the people they heard on their way to this God-forsaken room. They had gotten bored with his shoulders and were now working on his chest and stomach. Quatre, who didn't dare scream, was sobbing uncontrollably.

Duo closed his eyes and wished he could close his ears. He couldn't bear seeing his friends like this. Trieze slapped him, making him open his eyes. The commander shook his head.

"I don't think so. I brought you here to watch. Although I've about had it with the screaming. I do tire of it after awhile.

He let go of the long braid and reluctantly stepped away. He walked over to the panel and switched the intercom off. Somehow the silence was worse than the scrams, because they could still see what was happening to their two friends. For what seemed like hours, they were made to stand there and watch. After the two men were done with Trowa, they moved onto Quatre doing the same.

Next, they brought out the whips. Not normal ones either, if there could even be one that could be called normal. They were going to use the nine-tails whips. The two gundam pilot's bodies were destroyed. There was n way they could live much longer.

Duo was frantic by this point. This was his fault, all his damn fault. Tears were running down Wufei's face. None of them had ever felt so helpless before as they watched the other two arch their backs and their mouths open in silent screams.

"What do you want?" Duo pleaded. His answer was a smile from Treize.

"Nothing…yet."

"Why don't you just end it?" Wufei said through gritted teeth. Tears had left dirt-stained tracks down his cheeks. When he spoke, the smile disappeared instantly from the fallen commander's face.

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Treize practically hissed. He backhanded the black haired pilot across the face. When Wufei opened his eyes, a pair of intense blue were staring back inches away from his own onyx eyes.

"You should know better than that. I bet you didn't speak to Miliardo that way now did you?" Treize said slowly, his voice low and menacing. Wufei's eyes widened slightly, but still glared back at him.

"Yes, just end it," Duo cried. Treize's head snapped in his direction. He straightened and gave a dramatic sigh.

"Fine." He walked over to the intercom. It made a high-pitched beeping noise. It took a bit for Trowa and Quatre to become quiet when the two men walked over to the speaker on their side.

"Yes, commander?" one asked.

"Finish it," he told them in a bored voice. They nodded. They walked over to the cabinet to where their devices were stored. They came away with two large knives with curved blades.

They unhooked the two pilots from the wall. They almost fell to the floor, but the two soldiers had a hold of the collar leashes. The pilots had to have seen the end coming. Duo was sure of it.

Quatre looked at the glass and mouthed "good-bye" and his eyes slowly closed. Trowa just gave a small smile and shut his eyes. The two soldiers reached around and slit the pilots' throats in one swift motion right above the metal collars. They were dead before they hit the floor.

Duo heard somebody laughing, but he could see that it was not Treize. Who could be laughing at a time like this? Everything was slowly becoming black and the laughing went on. Later he was told that it had been him. He was the one laughing until he had finally passed out.

A/N: And there you have it peoples. Uberly long chapter. I was amazed that I got it typed all in one day. Now my fingers hurt… I'm really excited at how this is turning out and that I am not short of any ideas of how to go onto the next part.

Anyways, a review or two (or flames : - ) would greatly be appreciated. If it wasn't for my cousin, I probably would have stopped by now. Seeing my hit count go up every day has also kept me writing. So, thank you to those that have kept coming back.


	5. Chapter 5

Haunted Memories

Chapter 5

A/N: Eh, sorry about the sadness of previous chapter. I know it wasn't very nice, but guess what? It's all for the good of the story. Normal night tonight. No sugar or fights or watching of FF12, so this should be quick and painless. Well, not so quick to type. It's another long chapter. Oh, and by the way, thank you anissa for the reviews. I really appreciate them. :-

Warnings: Yep, Duo has lost a couple of marbles. I don't think he's quite right, but then who would be after what these guys go through.

-In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems.- Dean Koontz

Wufei let the door close quietly. No need to antagonize the other pilot any farther. The hallway of the apartment complex was dimly lit and had a smell of mold clinging to it. He couldn't understand how somebody could live like this. He pulled up his hood before stepping outside. The rain had yet to let up. He pulled the jacket closer trying to keep out the wind and rain and also trying to keep his clothes in his hands from becoming throughly soaked.

He walked up to the street and waved at the first cab he saw. Mumbling his thanks, he climbed into the back seat. He cringed at the dingy feel of the drab fabric that he was sitting on. The small yellow car reeked of smoke, week old food, and sweat. A thin screen of wire was the only thing between Wufei and the driver, although he wished there was more. The man looked big and mean enough to eat him and still be hungry for more. The man grunted and looked at Wufei questioningly.

"The Purple Lotus, please," Wufei sputtered. The small car jumped from the curb with a squeel of tires and careened down the street. Wufei hoped that it wouldn't take too long to get there.

Ready to lose his soup, the small pilot paid his fare and stepped cautiously out of the vehicle. Hardly a moment passed before the yellow thing jerked away, heading somewhere else at break-neck speed. Wufei muttered curses at the sky as he turned to look at the building he was about to enter.

A big neon sign shouted the name Purple Lotus into the dark night. The building looked old and shabby, the once red brick now dulled to a murky brown was the only hotel in town. It's major downfall was that it also contained a bar. The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke seemed to ooze from the pores of the walls. Wufei sighed and with a shrug of his shoulders, plunged into the gapping mouth of the monstrosity, also known as the door.

The music was kept low, so it made sleeping in the back rooms almost bearable. The lights were placed sporadicly around the large room, giving off a dim orangish yellow light. The table tops were scarred and gouged from years of use and the seats that still had cloth were torn. The food was cheap and the booze cheaper. The place drew in a steady crowd, mostly those who did not want to go to their own depressing homes or just didn't have one.

Wufei, not bothering to stop at his room first, took a seat at the high top bar. One of the reasons why he was staying here was because of the bartender.

"Hey Hilde," Wufei said to get her attention. She gave a half smile in recognition.

"So, you found him, huh?" she said noticing the black clothes. "I take it you guys got into it."

"Yeah, I found him and I guess I should just leave certain things well enough alone."

"Talked about Heero, didn't you?" Wufei nodded. Hilde sighed.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with him. You want a drink?"

"Sure, why not. A whisky sour sounds nice." Hilde put down the towel she was using to dry cups with and started to make his drink. Once done, she set the tall glass down in front of him. She winced as Wufei picked it up and drank half of it in one gulp.

"So, does he know why you came?" she asked, going back to the task of cleaning glasses. At that question Wufei looked away, slightly uncomfortable.

"Not exactly," he said, hiding behind his glass. He decided to drink it a bit more slowly. Hilde had made it quite strong. She raised an eyebrow in question waiting for him to explain himself.

"I told him I was here because of the anniversary, which by the way, did you go up there to the cemetary?"

"Yes, I went this morning. Now don't change the subject. Duo doesn't know that Treize is looking for you guys? And why is this?"

"Because I'm here instead Hilde. I went too far about the Heero thing and he threw me out. I didn't get a chance to tell him more bad news," he said, slightly angry. He changed his mind about drinking his drink slow and finished it off in another gulp.

"He needs to know about Treize, but Heero still gone really burdens hims," she said gently. Wufei met her eyes, and held her stare.

"Do you believe he's alive too?" She shrugged her shoulders and broke the stare.

"I don't know exactly what to believe. Obviously, there was no body, but this is Heero we are talking about. The guy is almost impossible to kill." She set another glass in front of him. "Duo had finally found somebody," she said softly.

Wufei looked up from the bar top in surprise.

"What do you mean found somebody? I asked him. Duo said they weren't together," he said a little more sharply than he intended to. He was starting to feel fuzzy from the drink. Hilde laughed.

"They weren't together. Not yet anyways. Duo was head over heals i love with Heero. Heero just had that problem with commitment, but he was fine living with Duo and being around him. Duo was fine with that, so he decided to wait. They were very happy that way. Heero had even started to smile," Hilde said sadly.

Wufei was quiet as he let this all sink in. The scratches and burn marks on the table top suddenly became much more interesting. Hilde patted his arm and left him to his thoughts as she attended other customers.

No wonder Duo was so protective about Heero's things. Wufei felt like such an idiot for assuming things about Duo's and Heero's relationship. Now he had to go and try to make things better, only to give his friend more bad news. He sighed. After he slowly finished his drink, he stood up to leave.

"I'll go check on him tomorrow night, ok, Wufei?" Hilde said to him.

"Sure. I'm going to stop by in the morning. Hopefully I can tell him everything without getting thrown out," he said with a wry smile. Hilde chuckled in response. Wufei picked up his still wet clothes, and with a wave good -bye, headed to his room.

Duo woke up with a scream. For a moment he thought he was back in that cell or even in that torture room. But no, bright sunlight was coming through the window, almost blinding him. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw that his pillow was thrown on the floor and his bed was a tangle of him and his blankets.

His bangs were soaked with sweat and were sticking to his eyes. His braid was a wet, matted rats nest. He groaned as he pushed his hair out of his face and tried to detangle himself from the covers.

He stood and shuffled over to the little kitchen corner. He needed caffeine and wanted it as soon as possible. His boxers, wet from sweat clung to him in the most annoying of ways. He grunted as he tried to rearrange himself and the black fabric. He started the coffee pot while drinking a big glass of over sweetened tea. Duo then stumbled to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

An hour later found Duo sitting on the floor with his back against his bed. He was braiding his long chestnut brown hair with a mug of coffee at his feet. The sun had moved just enough so that it wasn't directly in his face. He was mumbling under his breath because his hair was being stubborn. Finally finished, he wrapped a dark blue band around the end of the braid.

He felt half-way human, but only after finishing three cups of coffee. He was mostly dressed. He didn't care too much about it at the moment. It was still early. He wore a pair of loose black jeans that were sunug at the waist and a black dress shirt that was still unbuttoned. His boots were somewhere. He had decided to go visit Wufei to get some answers to the questions his nightmares had raised.

A loud knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts. He really wasn't in the mood for any visitors just yet. It was still too early.

"Go away, Hilde," he shouted to the door.

"It's not Hilde," a gruff voice said.

"Go away Wufei."

"Let me in Duo, we need to talk."

"As a matter of fact, we do," Duo grumbled. At least he didn't have to go to the hotel and talk to Hilde yet. She would probably yell at him for throwing Wufei out the night before. "Alright then, just come in."

"Wufei cautiously entered the apartment half expecting Duo to throw something at him. He was surprised to see his friend dressed. Well most of the way. Sunlight danced across the man's bare chest. Wufei quickly overted his eyes and somehow managed to not blush.

"I brought your clothes back and I brought you some rum. Just don't let Hilde find out. She'll have my head."

"Thanks," Duo said. He almost smiled. Wufei put the rum n the cupboard and the clothes on Duo's bed. He sat down across from the braided pilot, careful not to look at his chest. At how slim and muscular it was ans such a pale... Right, not looking. What was wrong with him?

"I needed to talk to you too Wufei."

"About last night, I'm sorry," Wufei quickly said. He could hardly ever apologize. Fighting a blush again he went on.

"Whatever happened or din't happen between you and Heero is none of my business. I didn't mean to pry." Duo nodded as if to say that it wasn't a big deal.

"Don't worry about it Wufei. You were always nosy even if you would never admit it." Duo chuckled.

"Well, that's not the only reason I came over to talk," he paused trying to find a way to gather his thoughts. Duo waited for him to continue, an eyebrow arched.

"You know how I said I was here for the anniversary? That's not the whole reason I had to take a break from work." He paused agian to lock eyes with Duo.

"Duo, Treize is alive," he said quietly. Ignoring his friend's gasp he went on. "He's very alive and he's looking for us. The others are dead and now he wants us dead too."

Heero is not dead. Treize should be dead. How is he alive? Heero's not dead. Why now? These thoughts were racing through Duo's mind. Emotions from rage to confusion to fear ran through his body.

"How do you know this?" Duo asked.

"I'm here aren't I?" Wufei countered, trying not to seem too obvious at not directly answering the question. Too bad Duo wasn't distracted enough.

"Yes, I can see that you're here Wufei. That surprises me. Because as far as I can tell whenever Treize comes around you do exactly what he says, no questions asked," Duo spat out. He was glaring at Wufei and leaning forward.

"Wufei tried to back away, but he was all the way against the other bed. He didn't trust the glint in the other man's violet eyes.

"Why are you here Wufei?"

"I came to warn you, to try to help," stammered Wufei. This conversation was so not going the way he expected.

"Come here to warn me? Like I can't take care of myself, huh?" Duo was now almost nose to nose with the black-haired pilot. Wufei swallowed hard.

"It's not like that Duo. You should know that. We are the only ones left," he dared to say. Duo snorted.

"The only ones left? Heero is not dead," he spat, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything.

"Face it Duo, we are the only ones left," Wufei said a little more evenly. He had to convince his friend that. If Duo was to get out of this depression he had to believe Heero was dead and Wufei was determined to do just that. Wufei dared to put a hand on Duo's shoulder as a sign of comfort.

Something seemed to click inside Duo. The tension seemed to drain from his body as he almost relaxed - almost. He broke his gaze, bowing his head. Everything was still and so very quiet. Duo took a deep breath and lifted his head. The look in his eyes worried Wufei. He considered regreting his decision to come here.

"Fine, if you say so, Wufei," the young man said quietly. "But answer me just one question then. What kind of connection did you have with Miliardo that made you do anything Treize said without the slightest bit of fight?"

"Wufei's onyx eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise and fear. He paled visibly and broke into a sweat. He bowed his head. He couldn't look at Duo. His only real friend left was going to kill him. Yep, that is what Duo is going to do to him.

"How do you know about him?" Wufei asked almost too quietly for Duo to hear.

"You act all high and mighty around everyone else, like you're better than us all," Duo said slowly. "Trieze shows up and you do nothing. Later in that forsaken room, you grow balls once again and piss the commander off. He mentions Miliard and you do nothing. So answer my damn question Wufei," Duo stood, his voice rising. Wufei muttered somethinghe didn't quite hear.

"What?" Suo demanded.

"I said his name is Miliardo. You said Miliard," Wufei stated through gritted teeth. He looked up at Duo, eyes blazing.

"So what. What did you do, sleep with Treize's butt-buddy or something?" Duo spat out.

Duo found himself slammed up against a wall without remembering quite how he got there. Wufei's forearm was against his throat cutting off any breath he was trying to take. Wufei had his body up against his almost crushing him. The Chinese man had always been stronger than him. Duo could hardly breathe let alone struggle.

"Don't. Ever. Say. That. Again," Wufei growled, his nose almost touching Duo's.

"Let go," Duo said in warning. Seeing that the other man had no intentiion of moving, Duo decided to make him move. He brought his knee up, making Wufei move to block it. With Wufei off balance, Duo shoved off the wall, knocking them both to the floor.

Shouting curses they each fought to gain control over one another. Wufei was stronger and had more disciplined training, but duo grew up on the streets. He was faster and knew how to fight dirty.

"What the Hell is your problem Wufei?" Duo yelled as he ducked just in time, Wufei's fist grazing the top of his head. Talking had distracted him too much though. He couldn't block Wufei's knee coming towards his stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and he hit the ground with an oof. Wufei took this chance to get Duo's arms into an armblock from behind. He also had a hold of Duo's braid so he could not head butt him in the face. This forced Duo to look up at the ciling at a very uncomfortable angle.

"Have you ever cared for somebody, Duo Maxwell? Cared for somebody you know you shouldn't, but even though you try everything possible not to, you still fall in love with them anyways?" Wufei growled into Duo's ear. "I have and I did everythng possible to keep them from being hurt.

With that he shoved Duo away from him. He was pissed at his friend and disgusted with himself.

"God, Duo," he said angrily.

Duo hit the floor face first, unable to stop himself from doing so. He stood up slowly, keeping a wary eye on Wufei who ahd moved to sit on the second bed. He sat on his own.

"I guess we're even then," Duo replied.

"Huh?" Wufei said intelligently.

"We're even on touching sore spots." Wufei just grunted and nodded his head. He had a split lip and his head was throbbing. He still wasn't done explaining though.

"So why was Treize using this Miliardo guy against you? Was he somebody Trieze could get ahold of or something? And how would he know when we didn't even notice that you were with somebody?" Duo asked, rubbing the back of his head where a lump was starting to form. It was Wufei's turn to snort.

"It was very easy for Treize to use him against me. You even know who he is Duo." Wufei gave a short humorless laugh. "Miliardo is also known as the great Zechs Marquis, Treize's second in command."

Wufei flopped back onto the bed closing his eyes. He waited for Duo to kill him or start screaming at him and then kill him. Nothing happened. Wufei craked open an eye and propped himself up on one arm.

Duo sat on the other bed looking confused, utterly dumbfounded, and pissed all at the same time. Wufei fdidn't think he liked the indecision of action on Duo's behalf. Duo on the other hand definitely ahd no clue of what to do. He could understand the feeling of losing somebody, Hell he lost Heero. But, but it was the enemy for crying out loud. He should kill Wufei, but he _was _his ony friend left. Should he still be considered his friend?

"Close your mouth Maxwell, You're starting to drool," Wufei said wryly. Duo did as told and then opened it to say something. And then closed it. Again.

"Did you Know?" Duo managed to get out.

"At first, no. Do you think I'm stupid?" Wufei answered sitting up. "Besides, I didn't know the name Miliardo mattered until much later.

"No, I did not know and neither did he. When we eventually found out, it was too late for the both of us. We both were falling for one another and we couldn't help it. Once we knew, we saw less and less of each other. Didn't want to compromise our missions. I had decided to end it. We agreed to meet one final time, to end the realtionship."

"It was hurting so bad. I mean it was so unfair, but who am I to justify fairness? First of all, he was a guy. Me liking a guy? Come on. But I guess you can't really help it. Why couldn't I just be normal? Nope, I, Chang Wufei, had to fall for a guy ten years older than I was that jsut ended up being one of my biggest enemies," Wufei paused, exasperated. Duo just kept quiet for a moment giving Wufei the time he needed.

"What happened, Wufei?" Duo urged. The Chinese man sighed before he continuted.

"The night we met, Miliardo was really upset. Kept muttering about having to hurry, which really started to bother me. I was trying to think of a way to say good-bye without totaly losing it. Then he showed up."

"Mr. Treize Kushrenada. Mr. Perfect I should say. He was the only person I ever had to compete with for Miliardo's time. He had heard and seen everything. Even saw us kiss. He was going to kill me. He really wanted to especially after finding out I was a gundame pilot."

"But Miliardo begged him not to. He told Treize that it was all a ruse. That he was collecting information from me the whole time. He somehow made his commander believe this. I guess anybody would once they saw the affect Miliardo's words had on me."

"I didn't want to believe it. But, there they were, smugly congratulating themselves. Treize still wanted me dead, but Miliardo told him that it was enough for me having to return to my fellow pilots."

"Treize told me that I better watch myself. And they let me go. I felt so utterly betrayed. I felt as if a part of me had died out there on the balcony. Only later, much later did I find out that Miliardo had put on an act to save my life."

"I found it out the day after Trowa and Quatre died. Right before we blew the place apart."

"Before you had been put into the cell with me, Treize had already paid me a little visit. He told me that he had one other pilot at the moment and that he knew all of us were there. If I didn't cooperate with him he would kill Miliardo. You see, he knew the whole time his second in command had been lying. He was just playing along waiting for the chance like the one he had then."

"I didn't give him any information, but I got a couple of kicks and punches in return. By all the commotion coming through on his radio, he didn't need any informationf rom me. He left and soon after you joined me. And you know the rest." Wufei took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"What happened to him?" Duo asked. Wufei shrugged sadly.

"I don't think he made it out in time... He's dead Duo." Wufei said with finality. "Just as Heero is." Duo cringed, but nodded slowly. Everything was quiet for a few minutes.

Duo suddenly smiled and got a manic gleam in his eye. Wufei looked around the room, slightly worried. What in the world was he smiling at?

"We just need to kill him," Duo said simply, but with an evil grin.

"Huh?" Wufei muttered.

"We, me and you, are going to kill the great Treize Kushrenada. The God of Death shall reign again. And of course, he'll have his trusty side-kick with him this time."

'Uh oh.' That was all Wufei could think of. 'Uh oh.'


	6. Chapter 6

Haunted Memories

Chapter 6

A/N: Yeah, I know it took forever for this update. But I was out of state without a computer for a month and then when I came back, I blew up my computer. And, another thing, my fiancé is making me build myself another one instead of buying another one… So her it folks, thanks for sticking with me.

Oh yeah, who is ready for some yoai? I'll get it in here sooner or later, but any takers on guesses for the couples?

Disclaimer: Yeah, if I owned them, they would be in my bed. Yes, all of them including Zechs…

Warnings: None. Well, kinda. Becomes a little cultish weirdness. If you don't like then don't read. :-

Deciding that the God of Death shall reign again was not a decision he could take lightly. It was a decision that brought with it responsibilities that were almost overwhelming. Returning to his old self, the darker, more sinister part of himself, was not going to be the hard par. There will be factions wanting to know why it had taken him so long to take responsibility for his actions, or lack there of. Death demanded payment in return for the help he lends. Lady luck also rolls her dice trying her hand for those that tempt fate.

Duo knew that his fellow pilots did not fully understand what his self-proclaimed title entailed. Most of the time that he had shouted his title in battle he said it with a laugh and smile. It was far from laughing matter. Duo had to pay for the power he received. He only hoped that this time it wouldn't kill him.

Duo sighed and brushed his bangs from his eyes. Several books lay opened in front of him along with many loose papers. He intended to do a small ceremony later that evening and he was reading up on some details he was a little unsure about. He also had to write some things to fill in some blanks. Every word he would use later on would be taken literally along with his intent. One wrong word or thought could cause a disaster.

A loud knock startled Duo. It had to be Hilde. She just had to show up when he was studying. He ran to open the door before she could knock again. Wufei was snoring lightly as he slept on the spare bed. All they needed was a grumpy Wufei.

Duo opened the door just as Hilde had reached up to knock again. He stepped back to let her in.

"Take long enough?" she asked shortly. Her hair was in complete disarray as she stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind her. Duo winced at the loud noise, but she hardly seemed to notice.

"I meant to come earlier, Duo, but it seems that nobody in this stupid town knows how to be on time or stay out of a fight. Tonight's bartender was late. My order of supplies for the next month decided to show up as I was trying to walk out the door." Hilde had an armful of bags containing Chinese food. She shoved them at Duo and started to look for dishes.

"Then, as I Tried to leave again some stupid drunk decided that it was the perfect time to start a brawl. I had to break that up because they figure that I own the place so it's my job to take care of the idiots," Hilde finished exasperated. She said all this loudly while slamming cupboards shut.

"Are you finished yelling?" Duo asked. This seemed to upset her more.

"No, I am not done. I was waiting for Wufei to come back by the bar today. And of course he doesn't. You didn't do anything to him did you?" Hilde snapped at him, her hands on her hips. She stopped moving around long enough to look at him. She noticed what looked like a rug burn along one side of his chin and a bruise forming on his cheek.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"Hey don't get on my case. And would you mind trying to keep it down? He's sleeping." Duo told her.

"Was trying to sleep is more like it," Wufei interrupted.

"Where have you been?" Hilde practically yelled.

"Where does it look like, onna?" he threw back at her. She threw up her hands in frustration. She turned back to the task of dishing out food for the three of them.

"Do you really let her invite herself over whenever she feels like it Duo?" Wufei had to ask. It was no use trying to go back to sleep now. His stomach was reminding him that he hadn't ate since that morning anyways.

Duo shrugged. "She feeds me and cleans my apartment." Wufei just mumbled about the injustice of women invading men's privacy.

"Duo helped Hilde carry the food over to the two beds. Sitting the food down, Duo picked up his books to make more sitting room.

"What in the world are you doing with books like that?" Hilde asked in between mouthfuls after catching a couple of the titles.

"I was studying" Duo said simply. He put his materials under his bed.

"Necromancy? Why?"

"Revenge. And the God of Death shall reign again."

All eating had ground to a halt as Hilde studied Duo trying to determine how serious he was. It had been a long time since she had seen such determination in those violet eyes. She gave a small smile.

"I can't really say that I agree with your methods, but you were a gundam pilot. The way I see it, is that you can take care of yourself. I guess I should be happy to see you out of your slump." With that said, she resumed eating.

"I take it that you told him everything?" she asked Wufei. He nodded in answer. She saw that he was eating carefully around a split lip. "So why did you guys get into it so bad?" She obviously did not know all of what Wufei had told Duo.

"We had to work out some differences," Duo answered after clearing his throat.

"Uh huh," she muttered. "So you're done now, right?"

"yep," Duo said with a mock smile.

"So let me see some of that stuff you are reading," Hilde said reaching for a stack of papers.

"No," Duo said shortly. He moved the books and papers out of her reach. Wufei arched an eyebrow in his direction. She drew back away from Duo.

"Okay. What was that about?"

"I don't like people looking at my things."

"Oh come on, it's not like I really believe that kind of stuff anyways," she said. Duo glared at her, his mouth set in a grim line. Wufei held his breath, not sure how the braided pilot was going to react. Hilde should have known that the subject of religion of any kind was a touchy subject for Duo.

The room grew darker as the sun slid behind a cloud. The air seemed to shift and cool considerably. Hilde watched something change in Duo's eyes. She couldn't describe it really, but it seemed as something was moving, lurking, underneath the color of his irises. And then he grinned. It was more like bearing his teeth though.

"Do you really want to look at my notes Hilde?" Duo asked in a monotone voice. "I rather you didn't, but I guess it couldn't really hurt anything since you don't really believe that kind of stuff." As he spoke, Duo slowly leaned closer and closer to her. She was trying not to let her anxiety show, but failed miserably.

"Umm, actually, that's ok." She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "I think maybe I should be on my way. Early day tomorrow." Without waiting for a reply or saying another word, she left the small apartment. The room brightened with sunshine and the temperature returned to normal.

"What did you do?" Wufei asked as Duo cleaned up the remains of their short dinner.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Duo said innocently.

"Don't give me that crap Maxwell." Duo's face was blank of any emotion.

"Really, it was nothing, just spooked her a little. Maybe next time she'll be more careful of what she says about other people's beliefs."

"Hn. Didn't think that you were that sensitive about it," Wufei said calmly. Duo had his back turned towards him, straightening the kitchen. Wufei reached over and grabbed a book out from under Duo's bed and started flipping through the pages. He was so engrossed in the book he didn't hear Duo walking up until the book was yanked out of his hands.

"Why is it so hard for you people to leave my stuff alone?" Duo asked angrily. He closed the book and shoved it back under the bed.

"I thought it would be ok for me to see. I'm not some silly onna."

"No."

"Why?" he asked. "What do you have to hide?"

"Nothing to hide."

"Then why?"

"Why you ask? I'll tell you whey, Wufei. I don't want it to do to you what it has done to me," Duo said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Wufei asked raking his brain trying to remember anything that stood out about his friend. Nothing came to mind, although they hadn't been around each other for years and during the war he didn't pay too much attention to the loud-mouthed baka.

"Once you start, you're hooked. It demands a price to be paid and you have no choice but to obey. For the use of its power, it demands a sacrifice each and every time. It changes you from the inside, makes you into this monster until there is no humanity left within you. But when you try to stop, you find out that you can't. You can't ignore the pull and then you become lost and alone," Duo explained. He seemed sad, but there was an underlying current of contempt right below the surface.

"Then why are you doing it again?" Wufei asked laying a comforting hand gently on Duo's shoulder. "You are not alone."

"I can't stop Wufei. I can't break away. It has a too tight of a hold on me. The payment is going to be greater this time Wufei. I don't know what it is, but it scares me. But no payment is too great to avenge what has happened to us." When Duo looked up, there was a manic gleam in his eyes.

"Nobody messes with my friends Wufei. Nobody. I've already waited too long to take care f my responsibilities. I seemed to have forgotten about them when Heero disappeared. Trieze will pay for taking the people we had come to love away from us. I just hope I live long enough to see it through."

"Is it really that demanding?" Wufei asked. Duo nodded and didn't say anything for a while.

"Just because I won't let you read any of this stuff doesn't mean that you can't see me in action. Do you want to come with me?" Duo asked his friend, grabbing their jackets.

"Sure," Wufei said surprised. He took his jacket from Duo and put it on. "Where are we going?" He watched as Duo seemed to be picking up random things throughout the room.

"To the cemetery," Duo said with a big smile. "For the fist part of my revenge and the first sacrifice I have to make," he said when Wufei gave him a questioning glance.


	7. Chapter 7

Haunted Memories

Chapter 7

A/N: Yeah, the whole necromancy thing from here to the end is mostly from the figment of my so-called imagination. I just used bits and pieces of what I knew and threw in a bunch of things to fit what I wanted. So, yes I know that it doesn't exactly fit what "Necromancy" is. So sue me…

Anyways, thank you to my faithfuls. Updates are coming few and far between because I'm going to be moving to TN (I'm in OH right now), getting a new job, and I am working on my own website. Yeah, go me the achiever…

-The night has patterns that can be read, less by the living than by the dead.- Dean Koontz

The sun had set by the time they reached the front gate of the cemetery. A scattering of stars flickered like tiny lights against the black sky. It was clear of any clouds allowing the sliver of a moon light their way along the path. The wind was low and rustled the few leaves left above their heads. The only other sounds that could be heard was the crunching of the gravel beneath their feet.

"Shouldn't you be doing this during a full moon or something?" Wufei asked trying to lighten the mood. Duo rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Not necessarily," Duo said with a half smile. "They know me well enough by now that I can call on their power at anytime."

"They?" Wufei asked eyebrow arched. Duo nodded and offered nothing more. Wufei left it at that. They were near their friends' graves when Duo stopped and grabbed his friend by the arm.

"When we get up there, no matter what you see or hear, you must stay silent. Do not draw attention to yourself. I will not be able to help you if They come for you." He didn't even notice Wufei's nod. His mind was elsewhere. He had become totally focused on what he must do and prepared his body for what was to come.

Wufei stayed back a couple of paces to give Duo plenty of room ahead of him. They walked on past stones of all shapes and sizes. Some of angels and others statues with the deceased person's name carved into the stone. Some were so old you could not even make out the engravings anymore and looked as if they were about to crumble into dust.

Duo came upon the graves of his friends slowly. He prayed that he had come prepared. He glanced around him and noticed just how alone they really were. The flowers he had put out had already been cleared away leaving the space before him almost unbearably bare.

"Okay, here goes," he muttered as he knelt down between the two graves.

"Death look away from the life inside

as I call upon you for your power

Lady Luck roll your weighted dice

For the price I pay is for you to say."

As he spoke the wind picked up tremendously as it tore viciously through the graveyard bringing with it rotting leaves and debris. It made a horrible screeching howling noise as it did so. Wufei could barely hear anything that Duo said, but didn't dare move remembering his friend's warning of not drawing attention to himself.

His blood seemed to turn to ice as he heard a sound. It started out low and grew in volume until he could hear it more clearly. It was a woman's laugh. It was sweet, but had a haunting quality to it and Wufei did not quite understand his body's reaction to it. He knew the graveyard was empty, but somehow he knew that the voice was not human. Deep down he knew that was the reason why he was terrified, but he just wanted to listen to it just a bit longer…

Just as Wufei figured he would gladly be lost within that voice as long as he could hear that voice, it turned into this malicious terrifying sound. It had a cutting edge to it that made Wufei glad that he had not moved and thanked his own God for whatever saved him from that thing.

He was worried about Duo though. But judging by how little Duo seemed to be reacting to the whole thing Wufei assumed that this must be normal. Normal for Duo at least.

After he finished speaking Duo waited. He did not have to wait long. Actually before he had even finished speaking he could feel Death's presence. They were waiting for the Lady. She had seen Wufei standing there unguarded and unaware of her power. Taking her time she had let him hear her laugh as she rolled her dice for him. Seeing the results, she was enraged and wanted to kill him right then and there. It turned out that he was protected more than she had first thought. It did not make her any happier seeing Duo's smug smile.

"You dare protect him, a mere mortal, and test my patience as I cast his fate?" she hissed at Duo. He just shrugged his shoulders. He'll have to pay for that little stunt later.

"He's not yours," Duo said. "Not right now anyways."

"That is not for you to decide," the other presence said tersely. Duo bowed his head. This was not going well so far. It seemed that he had pissed off both of them before he had even spoken his request.

"You should not have brought him," she said. Duo nodded obediently.

"I have come to ask for your help and your power," he told the other that was present.

"You have waited too long," It said.

"No. Actually I have not. Too long for the normal price you demand for any of us to pay." Duo said defiantly. "Prices can always be negotiated. That is why I have called upon you both." The Lady clapped her hands in glee.

"Oh! This could be fun."

"What is all that you ask my power for servant?" Taking a deep breath Duo continued, choosing his words carefully and keeping his head bowed.

"I call upon your power as Death itself so that I would be able to avenge the murders of my fellow pilots Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner. Also for the life of Zechs Marquis who was taken away from my fellow pilot Wufei Chang. I also seek to avenge the death of Heero Yuy. The man responsible for this, his name is Treize Kushrenada."

It was quiet for a moment as if they had to think this over.

"Why does Zechs Marquis matter to the point that you are willing to risk your life for the price that you must know that I will demand?" Duo was asked.

"Treize used the love of Zechs and Wufei against them both," Duo answered.

"Death or disappearance of Heero Yuy?"

"Both," Duo said not daring to show the slightest amount of confusion that question had raised.

"Are you sure?" the presence asked.

"Yes."

"And you are willing to pay the price if you are wrong?"

"Yes," Duo answered again trying to calm his racing thoughts. He caught Lady Luck grinning evilly by glancing up through his bangs.

"The only other thing that I ask for," Duo started to say as he raised his head. The beings in front of him weren't really there physically, but he could feel them and sort of see through them. Still, it was dangerous to look at Death's presence head on. "I ask that I live to finish my revenge."

"Done," It said. Lady Luck threw her dice. The combination meant only what she could know. She gave Duo a nasty smile and faded away, her laughter dancing around him.

"Double the price of blood from here on out," the presence told Duo. "And do not die from that alone, my servant." And with that, it faded away to nothing.

Duo sighed. This was not good at all, but he knew not obeying led to thing far worse. He only hoped that Wufei would let him finish what he had to do here. He fished around in his pockets and removed a small dagger. He rolled up the sleeve of his right arm and gritted his teeth as he made the first cut horizontally across his wrist. He heard Wufei gasp behind him and hoped that he would stay put.

The dark ruby liquid looked almost black in the moonlight as it threatened to spill over the sides of his wrist. He laid his hand upon the ground over the grave of Trowa's. He kept his face blank and barely felt any pain even though he knew he should. He didn't realize that he was losing more blood than he should have.

Duo could feel the cool air caress his face and pull at his hair in a playful manner. The sky was so black and seemed so close. And the stars, the stars seemed to be winking at him alone. The moon's light was almost too bright for his eyes. He felt as if he could almost float away, maybe float towards the stars. They were so beautiful.

Duo didn't realize what was happening until he was falling over and landed on his back. He was breathing quickly as he righted himself, his right hand never leaving the ground. He forced himself to breathe normally, trying to calm down. He was surprised that he had gotten that carried away. Death's presence got a little too close for comfort that time.

Determined to finish what he had started, Duo quickly did the same to his left wrist that he had done to the right and place it on the ground of Quatre's grave. He was beginning to feel light-headed from the loss of blood, but refused to be taken as he almost was just a few moments ago. He had to finish. He had to go on.

The words he wanted-had to say had to be forced out. His body did not want to respond, but he had to push on. His voice was hoarse as if he had been screaming and his throat felt raw. The sound of the words at first was choppy then became louder and smoother. It seemed like his voice had to get used to his body all over again.

"Now that my blood has run

I need a breath to make me live

And soil from the ground of which you are

Can only help me so far

I call upon you my spirit friends

To avenge the blood of yours that was shed

Rise within me, taste my blood

Join with me, combine my strength and

We shall take our revenge."

Once again, as Duo spoke, the wind howled and screamed as it made its way throughout the graveyard. Duo's voice grew in power and volume as it rode along the wind. As his chant came to an end, so did the sudden windstorm.

As everything around him calmed and returned to what was normal, Duo sat there on the ground trying to gather enough energy to move. He knew that he could not accept help from Wufei just yet, if his friend was even willing to give it. He had to stand and walk away on his own.

Duo brought his hands in front of him and clasped them together almost in the form of a prayer. Eyes closed and head tilted back, Duo let out a sorrowful scream. When the echoes faded away he started to hum the same haunting tune that he had hummed the day he had brought the bouquets of flowers. It was a song drawing on the elements around him asking for calming peace and strength to make it through the current situation and those that were to come.

After he had finished, he tried to stand. Either the elements refused their strength because of his current bargain with Death or Death's presence was still very strong wanting to claim him earlier than Duo had asked. Or, he realized that it could be a combination of both. Either, or, but he still stumbled and found it a very difficult struggle to pull himself to his feet. He heard Wufei rush towards him and he quickly shook his head, which almost sent him tumbling to the ground.

"No, not yet," Duo croaked out. Wufei reluctantly stayed back. Duo slowly shuffled out of the circle of power that had surrounded him. Suddenly the air seemed a lot thinner and he was able to move easier. He stumbled again, but Wufei was there to catch him before he fell.

"If you had come any closer it could have killed us both," Duo told Wufei as they made their way to a stone bench beside the path away from Trowa's and Quatre's graves. He gave a small chuckle at the way Wufei's eyes widened quite a bit.

"There's some gauze in my coat pocket. You mind helping me out a bit?" Duo asked wryly. Wufei silently complied. He carefully wrapped Duo's wrists, which were still bleeding readily.

"I see that you came prepared," he said.

"Eh," Duo shrugged. "I really don't have the energy to heal them." Wufei's eyebrows tried to meet his hairline again.

"Excuse me?" Wufei asked almost unbelievably. "Just whom do you belong to?"

"Belong to?" It was Duo's turn to not understand.

"Yes, belong to. I am a spiritual person who prays to the God I believe in, but you seem t o know or pray to several beings I did not even really know that existed to even held any kind of power.

"I belong to nobody, Wufei. I am the God of Death. That is all there is to it."

"Then what the heck happened tonight? I hear a woman laughing when I know that nobody else is here. I felt as if my very life could be at its end as you stood there, just as calm as ever. Then you hummed, sang, whatever you want to call it, the same song I heard you doing the other day and I felt as if everything will be all right when I know damn well that it isn't." Wufei was out of breath when he finished that little spiel. All Duo could do was sigh as his mind raced to find an answer that would not get Wufei into this mess too deep that he could not get away. Heck, it might be too late for that anyways.

"I called upon Death itself for the power and ability to carry out my revenge. Lady Luck to tell me of the price I must pay for this power. The song was to the elements to give me peace and strength. They are the same that would help me heal my wounds if I had the energy to do so. All of them and more do my bidding, but I pay the price."

"And what is the price this time?" Wufei asked Duo, helping his friend to his feet. He put an arm carefully around his shoulders, supporting most of Duo's weight.

"That," Duo said in a weak voice. "Is something I do not want to talk about." Wufei nodded and urged his friend to walk slowly.

"Please just take me home, Wufei," Duo said softly, all of his energy gone as he sagged against his friend.

"I'll get you there," Wufei said back. Wufei was left lost in his thoughts for the rest of the way to Duo's tiny apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

Haunted Memories 

Chapter 8

A/N: Yeah, I'm alive. I am so sorry about the lateness. I actually didn't move to a different state (fiancé did not want me to) just to a different city. It's been a long time since I've even thought of writing... I'm back, I have a beta (I hope one that will stick with me), and maybe my muse will force me to write once again. Thank you for staying with me once again. You guys are what bring me back. :-)

Drip...drip-drip...drip... Wufei laid on his back staring up at the water-stained ceiling. Occasionally lights from a passing car would dance across the walls. Wufei sighed as he shifted and glanced at the clock, 2:30 AM, how many more hours would he be unable to sleep? He had crawled into the spare bed around midnight and couldn't keep his eyes closed.

Wufei grumbled to himself as he turned again and tangled his feet in the sheets once more. He couldn't sleep and the constant dripping from outside the window was not helping matters at all. It couldn't actually rain, no, it was drizzling just enough to cause that steady dripping noise that drove you insane. Thoughts of what had happened just hours before ran through his mind, not letting him rest. He was so tired and worn out that his eyes hurt yet he still couldn't sleep.

He glanced over to the bed beside him. The lights from the passing traffic lit up the young man's face at irregular intervals. Wufei let himself smile ever so slightly at the sight. Duo had his arms thrown above his head, one hand mixed in the hair of his braid. The light danced across his chest and Wufei let his eyes trail down the man's body to where the sheets clung to his waist and wrapped around a leg that hung off the bed, his foot almost touching the floor.

He had somehow managed to practically carry Duo up the stairs, get the door unlocked, and open it without dropping sleeping pilot. Wufei carefully laid his friend onto his bed, taking his jacket and shoes off. He had hesitated, thinking about whether or not to remove Duo's outer clothes. He had decided his friend would be more comfortable and sleep better if he didn't have to try to sleep in his street clothes.

Wufei then removed Duo's pants and his shirt, careful because of the bandages, forcing himself not to stare at the exposed skin. It wasn't like he had never done this before, Duo was always getting hurt one way or another, especially back when they had so many missions. He was constantly distracted, distracted by this slim boy beneath his hands. The pale skin of Duo's shoulders, his chest, his stomach. His skin, skin that led down his waist and disappeared under the cover of a pair of boxers. The boxers which he could hardly keep from laughing out loud about. They were black of course, but they were decorated with yellow smiley faces. Leave it to Duo to be dressed in something so childish.

Why was Duo suddenly having an affect on him now? 'It's because Heero is no longer around', a small voice in the back of his head nagged him. The thought had surprised him and he squelched it as fast as he could.

For the first time, Wufei actually noticed the scars that ran across Duo's back. His skin was so pale, a milky white, and the scars were only a shade or two darker. Even though Duo was thin, he was very muscular and Wufei could see all of this. He wanted to ask and know the cause of every single one of those lesions. They made Duo look so much older, that is, until you see his face. His amethyst eyes and boyish grin would always make him seem young. Right now though, Duo just looked peaceful with his eyes closed and mouth slightly open as he snored softly. But, back to the skin that was bare. He just wanted to touch and run his hands over Duo's - whoa, where in the world was his mind going?

Wufei shook his head, trying to get it out of the clouds. He quickly stood up and covered Duo with a light blanket. He had every intention of leaving and, by all means, he should have. He simply could not let Duo see him staring at him like this. Duo would want to know why, he always wanted to know the why of everything. He, himself, didn't even understand why he had grown so fascinated by the long-haired ex-pilot. He stood up and folded the shirt before he laid it on top of the dresser, the jacket following. He turned out the lights as he opened the door and turned to leave. That was before he heard it, Duo had called out his name.

"Hey, 'Fei," Duo had mumbled almost too softly for him to hear. At the sound of his voice though, Wufei cringed. Maybe Duo had seen him staring and knew of the thoughts racing through his head. "Why don't you stay tonight?" Wufei knew he should not stay, his 'fascination' with the ex-pilot was getting out of hand.

"Sure Duo," Wufei muttered, trying to keep his voice calm as he stepped back inside the darkened apartment and closed the door. He removed his shoes and jacket and climbed into the spare bed.

Drip...drip-drip...drip. And here he was more than two hours later, tossing and turning as thoughts about the braided baka raced through his head. The monotonous sound of the steady dripping was giving him a migraine and the current path his thoughts took did not help any. It didn't help either that he had found out only hours ago that Duo was more than he seemed. He was glad that his prayer life was nowhere near as complicated as Duo's was. He realized that he had a new respect for his friend. Thunder rolled in the distance, a warning of the oncoming storm. Every time he was on the verge of falling asleep, thoughts of the baka lying next to him brought him back to wakefulness and then the dripping would keep him awake.

He felt as if he had finally found a position that seemed comfortable enough that he might actually be able to sleep. Just before he slipped into that elusive thing called sleep, he heard Duo whimper. Wufei tried to brush it off but he could hear him cry out words that he could n't make out. Wufei sat up quickly and stared at Duo who had his hands clenched into fists and eyes squinted tightly shut. Duo moaned again as he twisted and turned in his sleep. Something pulled within Wufei as he watched Duo struggle with a nightmare. He wanted to do something, but what? It wasn't like he could hold him or something like that. Duo would think he was nuts or something. Duo mumbled something in his troubled sleep and lashed out with his foot, kicking the sheets off the bed.

"Well, here goes nothing," Wufei muttered as he took a deep breath and got out of bed. He kneeled down beside Duo's bed. "Hey Duo, it's okay. You are not alone," Wufei said softly, he didn't know how to do this. Him, trying to be sympathetic and comforting? Yeah right. Maybe if he could just wake him up...

"Duo," he said softly. "Duo." A little louder and another shake. Wufei didn't even see the fist coming until it was too late. Duo, still mostly asleep took a swing which connected solidly with Wufei's cheek.

"Whaaa!" Wufei yelled as he shoved off the bed and tried to scramble backward. The rest of Duo's body followed the fist and he tumbled right off the bed onto Wufei's legs. His eyes shot open, full of surprise. He frantically looked around him wondering what the hell just happened when he realized he was on top of Wufei's legs and Wufei was holding a hand to his face.

"Wufei, I am so sorry man," Duo mumbled quickly trying to untangle himself from the sheets and his friend's feet. "I am so, so sorry, I did not mean to hit you," he repeated again. He crawled over to where Wufei was leaning against the other bed and repeated himself over and over again. 'Man, he's so going to kill me...' Duo grabbed Wufei's hand away from his face and leaned closer to get a look at the bruise that was visible even in the poor light.

"Man, that bruised up fast. Again, Wufei, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to." Duo slowly realized that his face was really close to Wufei's. Really close, and Wufei still hadn't pulled his hand away from his face. Duo placed a hand gently on Wufei's cheek, his thumb slowly caressing the bruise. Wufei's eyes widened slightly at Duo's touch. His breath caught in his throat and he hoped that Wufei couldn't see him blush.

"I think you hit harder in your sleep than you do awake, Duo," Wufei said with a smirk.

"Hey now," Duo started. He was going to go into a tirade when he noticed Wufei's smirk and how cute that smirk was. Cute? Now wait just a gosh darn second. When did he start to think that Wufei's smirk was cute? Without realizing it he leaned farther forward, toward Wufei, until they were almost nose to nose, lips to lips. Then he pulled away slightly and looked at the floor. He said quietly, "I do not hit harder in my sleep and I said I was-"

"Duo."

"Hmm?" Duo turned back to look into the onyx eyes staring at him.

"For once, just shut up," Wufei said just as quietly. Duo opened his mouth ready for a retort when Wufei pressed his lips against his. His eyes widened in surprise but he did as he was asked for once and just shut up. His attention was turned toward what was going on. All too soon Wufei pulled away. Duo wanted to pout. Wufei's lips were so soft and warm. He wanted to feel them again, he wanted more.

"I'm sorry," Wufei mumbled as he looked away. He thought Duo was going to be pissed. What right did he have to kiss Duo? That was way too presumptuous of him. Man, what was he going to do now? He felt a small amount of pressure on his chin and he was brought back to reality and right back out of his thoughts. He turned his head and was met with Duo's beautiful amethyst eyes. There was no anger or disgust in them. He wasn't sure what he saw, but he knew he didn't see either of the two and that was all he needed for the moment.

"Don't ever be sorry for that Wufei," Duo said softly and leaned forward to press his lips to Wufei's. Duo relaxed a bit when he felt Wufei lean into the kiss. He felt Wufei's mouth part and his tongue dart out, asking entrance to Duo's mouth, which he gladly let entrance to. Their tongues met tentatively as if trying to get to know the taste of each other. Each felt as if they were in heaven. Duo did not have a straight thought running through his head. Wufei's taste was slightly sweet and it was driving him mad. His mouth was this hot moist cavern and he wanted to know every single bit of it.

He let out a small gasp as Wufei's hand trailed up his arm and across his chest to rest at the nape of his neck under his braid. Wufei wrapped his hand in Duo's hair and pulled Duo closer, making their kiss fiercer, hotter, and more aggressive. Duo brought both of his hands up and laid them on the sides of Wufei's face, his thumbs resting on either side of Wufei's chin. Their tongues sparred again and again, each trying to gain dominance over the other.

Duo slid his hands back, relishing the feel of Wufei's black silky hair. He found the small rubber band holding the silky mass back. Before he could free his hair, Wufei pulled away from the kiss. Duo was surprised, but did not pull his hands away. Wufei tilted his head to the side questioning Duo without saying a word.

"Your hair. I just want to see your hair down 'Fei," Duo said with a smile. The questioning look in Wufei's eyes was replaced with trust as he gave a small nod. Duo gave a small tug and tossed the band to the side. Wufei's black mane fell below his chin and framed his face, making it seem much paler in the irregular light. Duo's breath came out short, then fast as he wrapped his hands in the hair he just undid. He pulled Wufei in for another kiss, Wufei's black mixing with his long brown bangs.

This time the kiss was slow and deep. Duo took his time running his hands through Wufei's hair, down his neck, and all over his back. First, so lightly with just his fingertips then harder with his palms, kneading Wufei's skin eliciting small gasps from the young Chinese man. With each gasp from Wufei, a small moan escaped from Duo's lips. Each sound, each movement, each breath became closer and faster. Duo felt as if he could get lost under Wufei's gaze, and he would not care, as long as Wufei was there touching and kissing him.

Wufei ran his hands across Duo's chest, loving the reactions he was pulling from the smaller man. His own breath was ragged and he felt as if his blood was on fire. Duo tasted so good, and felt so great that he was not thinking about the hands running over his body. He just could not touch enough of Duo at once, it was driving him up the wall. His hands had wandered down Duo's waist to the top of his boxers and was surprised when Duo tensed up all of a sudden.

Duo placed his hands upon Wufei's, stopping him from going further. His breathing was hitched, and he tried to calm himself without completely pulling away from Wufei. He sighed as he placed his forehead upon Wufei's shoulder. Wufei was not sure what to do. He thought things were going so well.

"What is wrong, Duo?" he asked.

"Can't. I can't do this," Duo said softly, afraid of Wufei's reaction. Time stood still as neither of them moved for the next couple of moments.

"Fine," Wufei stated. Duo's head came up as he looked into onyx. Wufei slowly pulled away and leaned up against the bed, still brushing up against Duo.

"Fine?" Duo asked inteligently. Wufei nodded.

"I can wait. Believe me, Duo, I can wait." Duo leaned back and closed his eyes. He did not know if he liked the idea of Wufei willing to wait. What exactly for what, he wasn't exactly sure. He cracked an eye open when he felt a warmth on his face. He realised that dawn had come and sunlight was peaking through the clouds as it was rising above the horizon. He rested his head against Wufei's shoulder and nudged him with his elbow.

"A rare sight, Wufei. Seeing the sun coming up," Duo said softly, his voice full of sleep. Wufei gave a small smile and laid a hand over one of Duo's. They each were quiet, watching the clouds disapearas the sun shine down upon them chasing away the darkness of the night before.

A/N: Hee hee. Bet you thought there would be more between them. :-) Keep reading, it'll happen sooner or later.


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